American goes to Benidorm for first time and is immediately confused by 1 thing
American travel enthusiast Kalani made his way over to Spanish holiday hotspot Benidorm for the first time, and went on to share his honest opinions, including one thing that left him confused
An American shared his honest opinion after visiting Benidorm for the first time (stock image)(Image: Getty Images)
The Spanish coastal city of Benidorm has long been a favourite among British holidaymakers looking to enjoy some sunshine and relax on holiday. But one American was shocked when he visited the Spanish city for the first time by just how much influence the influx of British visitors has had on the destination.
British pubs and chippies aren’t a common sight in Spain, nor is a Full English being served in every café – but they can be found all over the famous strip in Benidorm, making Brits feel like they’re in a home away from home, just with much better weather. To experience it for himself, American travel enthusiast Kalani, who has visited the UK several times, decided to head to Benidorm after having been told about it from British friends.
Taking to TikTok, where he has more than 3.3 million followers, Kalani documented his time in Benidorm and everything it had to offer. At the end, he went on to share his honest thoughts about his holiday, also revealing that there were some things that had left him confused.
Starting off by saying that a lot of people had also warned him against visiting Benidorm, describing it as ‘like Blackpool with more sun’, Kalani said he agreed the famous Strip matched this description, but argued the city also has so much more to offer.
“For me, I could probably only do about one night on the Strip, it’s just too much for me,” he said. “That’s not really my scene anyway.”
However, he added anyone who does enjoy that sort of experience should definitely give it a go. He went on to say that his highlight had been exploring the Old Town of Benidorm.
“Really good views, and then they have Tapas Alley, which we went to last night and you can get authentic Spanish food,” he said. “It’s a really cool atmosphere.
“And if you’re looking to have a little bit more Spanish culture and not just going to Benidorm strip and having a fry up every day, it’s a good spot to go.”
The American went on to say that, while he understood why some people might have urged him to avoid Benidorm, he wondered if these people had visited Old Town, saying this was the highlight of his holiday. He said: “You can experience a part of Benidorm that isn’t as in-your-face as the Strip.”
However, Kalani also revealed that there were some parts of his visit to Benidorm that had left him confused, including repeatedly being asked about ‘Charlie’.
“I need someone to tell me about who Charlie is,” Kalani said, explaining that several people had asked him if he wanted ‘Charlie’ after exploring the Strip one night. Viewers were soon quick to tell him that Charlie is a common nickname for cocaine.
He also explained the various ‘weird‘ things he had spotted on the Strip, including a vending machine with a variety of ‘pleasure products’, a drunk woman driving a mobility scooter with a man holding on behind her, as well as the famous Sticky show.
“But you know what, I’m having a great time,” Kalani said. “I think it’s really beautiful, great views. The other part of Benidorm, I’d have to do in very small doses.”
DHS attorney said agents in Los Angeles should have ‘started hitting’ protesters, emails show
WASHINGTON — A lead attorney for the Department of Homeland Security suggested that federal agents should have “just started hitting the rioters and arresting everyone that couldn’t get away” during an anti-ICE protest in Los Angeles last June, internal emails show.
The note was in an email chain obtained by the nonprofit watchdog group American Oversight through the Freedom of Information Act and shared exclusively with The Times.
In it, attorneys for Homeland Security appear to be discussing the June 9 lawsuit filed by California Gov. Gavin Newsom over President Trump’s deployment of thousands of California National Guard troops to Los Angeles.
Under the subject line “California DOD Lawsuit,” officials coordinated legal filings defending the Trump administration and included a draft declaration by the Los Angeles field office director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement supporting the deployment of military forces.
The final email in the thread was from Joseph Mazzara, then-acting DHS general counsel, and he appears to be referring to an incident in which protesters tried to breach a protective line at a federal building.
On June 11, he wrote: “Every time I read about the battering ram incident I’m just floored at how wild that is.”
Referring to law enforcement as “they,” he continued: “They should have, when they brought the line in, just started hitting the rioters and arresting everyone that couldn’t get away from them. No one likes being hit by a stick, and people tend to run when that starts happening in earnest.”
The Department of Homeland Security didn’t respond to requests for comment.
Mazzara was later appointed deputy commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Politico reported that Mazzara is among 10 staffers who followed former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to the State Department after she was fired this month from DHS and given a new role as special envoy for the Shield of the Americas.
The battering ram incident Mazzara referred to is detailed in court documents for the lawsuit.
A June 19 order from a panel judges from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals states that Trump administration attorneys presented evidence of protesters interfering with federal officers. The protesters threw objects at ICE vehicles, “pinned down” several Federal Protective Service officers and threw “concrete chunks, bottles of liquid, and other objects,” the order said.
Protesters also “used ‘large rolling commercial dumpsters as a battering ram’ in an attempt to breach the parking garage of a federal building,” the order states.
Mazzara’s comment in the email thread with other Homeland Security attorneys was given to American Oversight with a watermark showing the agency had intended to withhold it. American Oversight also received a version of the documents with that statement redacted.
Chioma Chukwu, executive director of American Oversight, said it’s no wonder the administration wanted to keep Mazzara’s comments hidden.
“They reveal a level of hostility toward protesters that is deeply at odds with the government’s obligation to protect civil liberties — and there’s no FOIA exemption that justifies hiding them,” she said.
Kerry Doyle, the former top ICE attorney during the Biden administration, said Mazzara’s comments show a shocking carelessness about the potential for harm against both the general public and the officers he was employed to protect.
The email, she said, “seems to encourage, or, at the very least, support constitutional violations by the operators that are supposed to be getting legal counsel from him to avoid violating the law.” Plus, commenting on operational strategy is outside the scope of his responsibilities, she said.
“He’s doing a disservice to the people that are on the front line, that rely on him and his colleagues to give them the parameters of what they can and can’t do,” Doyle added. “If you give them bad legal advice, you are setting them up for liability.”
Noem’s removal came amid backlash against an escalation of violence during Trump’s crackdown on immigration, including the shooting deaths of U.S. citizen protesters by immigration agents.
Doyle said part of the secretary’s job is to set the tone for the agency so the rank and file know what is expected of them. Mazzara’s comments, she said, show how that tone has permeated all facets of the agency.
After the U.S. Supreme Court cast doubt on the Trump administration’s legal theory for using troops in domestic law enforcement operations, the president in December began removing the National Guard from Los Angeles and other Democratic-led cities.
The protests last summer caused significant property damage in a small section of downtown Los Angeles. But grand juries refused to indict many demonstrators accused by federal prosecutors of attacking agents, and a Times review of alleged assaults found that most incidents resulted in no injuries.
Mikael Granlund’s hat trick gives the Ducks a win over the Flames
CALGARY, Canada — Mikael Granlund capped his hat trick scoring on the power play with one second remaining in overtime on Thursday night to give the Ducks a 3-2 victory over the Calgary Flames.
Granlund has seven goals during a four-game goal streak that has him up to 19 on the season as the Ducks extended their winning streak to four games.
The Pacific Division-leading Ducks have a five-point lead on the Edmonton Oilers and a six-point lead on the Vegas Golden Knights.
Rookie Matvei Gridin and Blake Coleman scored for Calgary, which extended its point streak to five games (4-0-1). Gridin stretched his point streak to four games (one goal, three assists).
Ville Husso, who made 23 saves, improved to 9-7-1.
Devin Cooley, who had 30 stops, fell to 9-10-4.
The game got off to an inauspicious start for the Flames. First, Pavel Mintyukov’s turnover in the opening minute of the game resulted in a 3-on-0 breakaway for Calgary but Gridin, Morgan Frost and Matt Coronato over-passed it and never got a shot on goal.
Three minutes later, it appeared that Yegor Sharangovich had given Calgary the lead, but the Ducks challenged for offside and the goal was overturned. It was the fifth goal the Flames have had waved off by video review during its homestand.
Calgary eventually took the lead on Coleman’s goal 1:06 into the second period when he redirected Joel Farabee’s pass inside the post. But Granlund tied it on an unassisted goal two minutes later.
The Ducks lost two defensemen to injury. Radko Gudas (lower body) left the game late in the second period and Mintyukov got hurt when he took a shot from Olli Maatta high in his chest in the third.
The best literary and books events in L.A. right now
“What happened to my dreams? Simply put: they changed,” reads Phil Augusta Jackson aloud to a crowd in a furniture store. Tonight’s theme is change. From a podium, the television writer reflects on the long, thorny odyssey of his career. A pinball machine blinks in the background. Behind him, dreamy abstract prints hang on the wall, their shapes seeming to melt in the unseasonable spring heat.
Alongside mid-century furnishings and art in Echo Park, siblings Madeline Walter and Evan Walter host their wildly popular reading series, Essays. It’s a warm spring night. In a tender essay, Evan considers what he’s inherited from his idiosyncratic father. “I scream-sneeze like him now,” he reads. “It feels like a mess figuring out what parts of your parents you’re going to keep.”
In March 2024, the Walter siblings began the reading series in a friend’s backyard. “It was cold and wet, and we were so nervous nobody would come,” says Madeline. Since then, the show has moved through a series of venues before settling into a home at The Hunt Vintage. In just two years, it has grown into a local phenomenon, regularly drawing crowds of more than 150 people into the singular space.
The idea for Essays took shape during a conversation about creative constraints. Both writers and comedians, the siblings wanted to host a show that pushed beyond snappy punchlines and polished half-truths. “The objective is different from just being funny,” Madeline says. “It’s to tell me about yourself. Tell me something you’re thinking about.”
Siblings Madeline and Evan Walter host a popular monthly reading series called Essays at Echo Park’s Hunt Vintage.
(Ryan Wall )
Like many readings across Los Angeles, Essays taps into a growing appetite for sincerity. “People are really craving a space where you can be funny, be vulnerable, laugh at yourself — and where there’s an earnestness,” Evan says. That sensibility feels familiar to them. They grew up in what Madeline describes as a “very NPR-coded household that loved David Sedaris-style stuff.” She adds: “Doing something in the essay space feels like a surprising return to form.”
“One of my roommates describes it as a church-like experience, because everything is just so emotionally0driven and connective,” says Kaitlyn Kilmer, a longtime attendee.
The legacy of the series has begun to ripple outward. Their reading series has created a complementary Substack. Kilmer is now hosting a reading in her living room among friends.“We decided that we wanted to do our own, so I gathered a few friends who had been fans of the Essays show,” she says.
Essays exists in a larger network of reading series that make up Los Angeles’ diverse and ever-evolving literary scene. “There are so many readings now,” explains non-fiction writer Diana Ruzova, who frequently attends readings. “I’m not mad at it, though, mostly grateful that L.A. has a thriving literary community.”
In Los Feliz, Skylight Books continues to host intimate book launches for some of the most anticipated literary releases, drawing local favorites and celebrities.
“Our vibe is cozy,” says Mary Williams, general manager of Skylight Books. “We set up chairs under the big tree that grows in the middle of the store, and we hope this is a go-to place for our community to see their favorite authors while mingling with other book lovers.”
Elsewhere, at Heavy Manners Library, the tone of literary events leans more toward the experimental. “Experimental, unpolished writing can be shared and reflected on in an accessible, communal setting,” says program assistant Jane Shin.
This spring, literary events across the city run the gamut — from independent book fairs to poetry workshops, from the bizarre to the deeply vulnerable — welcoming everyone from curious newcomers to die-hard bookworms.
US seaside town Britons say is like Brighton named top destination for pensioners
This beautiful seaside town has been named among the best places to relocate to in America
Best city in the US to relocate to that Americans say is frozen in time(Image: Getty)
A recent study conducted by The Law Offices of James Scott Farrin examined working and living standards throughout the United States to identify the most desirable location to move to in America. The investigation took into account elements including annual earnings, insurance provision, living expenses, safety rankings, housing affordability, and general standard of living.
New Jersey was identified as one of the finest states to relocate to in 2026, for both living and employment purposes. Expatriates in New Jersey can anticipate generous wages, a secure setting, and pleasant weather conditions.
Among the premier retirement destinations in New Jersey is Cape May, a stunning coastal resort that “feels frozen in time”.
Cape May is a pedestrian-friendly historic town, and ranks amongst the most established seaside resorts, boasting 19th-century Victorian properties, delightful shops and excellent restaurants.
The area experiences a humid subtropical climate characterised by sweltering, muggy summers. According to Great Family Vacations, Cape May ranks as one of the top places to retire in the United States.
The picturesque town provides pensioners with a tranquil seaside way of life, picturesque shores, and a lively and hospitable community. The travel specialists stated: “Cape May, on the southernmost tip of New Jersey, is much more than another seaside retreat.”
American pensioner Michael Potts remarked: “Cape May is a nice Victorian town. It has terrific restaurants, great beaches and is laid-back. It has exactly what we were looking for.” Another pensioner remarked: “There’s endless walking in town and a path along the beach. The beaches are clean; the architecture is beautiful.”
British expats flocked to Tripadvisor to voice their opinions, with one noting that the American town feels like travelling back in time as it boasts “the largest concentration of Victorian houses in the US”.
Another resident said it brought back memories of Brighton. “The shops are especially similar. The beach in Brighton was all stones, which made it quite hard to walk. The pier in Brighton reminded me of some of the boardwalks in Wildwood or Ocean City, NJ.”
Video: Children’s toys found in rubble of US-Israeli strike in Iran | US-Israel war on Iran
Rescue teams from the Iranian Red Crescent Society have been searching the rubble of residential buildings hit in US-Israeli attacks in Iran, where officials say around 2,000 people have been killed.
Published On 27 Mar 2026
Venezuela: Judge Refuses to Dismiss Maduro Case, Challenges US Blocking of Defense Funding
Solidarity activists gathered outside the courthouse and demanded the release of Maduro and Flores. (Katrina Kozarek / Venezuelanalysis)
Caracas, March 26, 2026 (venezuelanalysis.com) – US Judge Alvin Hellerstein ruled out dismissing the case against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores in a hearing on Thursday in Brooklyn.
The defense team for Maduro and Flores—who face charges including drug trafficking conspiracy and weapons possession—requested that the case be thrown out after the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) denied them authorization to use Venezuelan state funds to pay for legal counsel. OFAC had initially granted the license on February 9 but revoked it three hours later.
New York Southern District Judge Hellerstein declined to throw out the charges due to the blockaded funds, calling it “a serious step based on hypotheticals.” However, he did not formally rule and left the door open to revisit the decision in the future.
US Justice Department prosecutor Kyle Wirshba argued that allowing access to Venezuelan state funds would undermine existing sanctions policy, adding that if the defendants are unable to hire private attorneys, court-appointed counsel could be assigned. Maduro attorney Barry Pollack countered that such a measure would violate their Sixth Amendment right to choose their own legal representation.
During the hearing, Hellerstein challenged the prosecutors’ arguments, adding that OFAC’s personal sanctions against Maduro and Flores would also block them from using personal funds. The judge likewise disagreed with the prosecution’s claims that the blocking of funding for the defense was a matter of national security, stating that Maduro and Flores “no longer represent a threat.”
He further remarked that “things have changed” and that the United States is already “doing business” with Venezuela.
According to observers in the courthouse, Maduro and Flores, both in beige prison uniforms and handcuffed, appeared calm throughout the hearing, using headphones for simultaneous translation. Neither spoke. Observers noted that Maduro appeared thinner. Flores’ attorney, Mark Donnelly, made an urgent request for a medical evaluation, specifically an electrocardiogram, citing a pre-existing condition. The judge approved the request.
Hellerstein will set a new court date in the coming days. Maduro and Flores have not requested bail and were returned to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn after the hearing.
Maduro and Flores, who is also a lawmaker, were kidnapped by US special forces during a military attack against Caracas on January 3. They pleaded not guilty at their arraignment two days later. Despite recurring “narcoterrorism” accusations over the years, US officials have not presented evidence tying high-ranking Venezuelan leaders to narcotics activities. Specialized agencies have consistently found Venezuela to play a marginal role in global drug trafficking.
Trump calls for additional ‘charges’
Prior to the hearing, US President Donald Trump argued before reporters that additional charges should be brought against the Venezuelan president.
“He emptied his prisons into our country, and I expect that at some point he will be charged for that,” he said. Trump has repeatedly raised unfounded claims that the Venezuelan government “emptied” prisons and mental institutions into US territory.
Outside the courthouse, a heavy police presence separated Venezuelan opposition supporters from solidarity activists demanding the release of Maduro and Flores and an end to US attacks against the Caribbean nation.
In Caracas, social movements gathered at Plaza Bolívar to express support for the president and first lady. The demonstration followed another mobilization earlier in the week demanding the lifting of US economic sanctions against Venezuela.
Speaking at the rally, lawmaker Nicolás Maduro Guerra—the president’s son and also facing US Justice Department charges—described his father as “a worker” who identifies “as a son of God above any political office.” Days earlier, in a social media post, Maduro Guerra had said his father would appear “in high spirits” and “in good shape” due to regular exercise.
He was joined by Caracas Mayor Carmen Meléndez, while the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) also called for Maduro’s release in a public statement.
For her part, Acting President Delcy Rodríguez has yet to comment on Thursday’s hearing. Venezuelan authorities have also not publicly addressed US efforts to block the funding of Maduro and Flores’ legal expenses.
Since January 3, the Rodríguez administration has led a diplomatic rapprochement with Washington, with several White House officials visiting Venezuela in recent weeks. A Venezuelan government delegation arrived in the US capital on Thursday, led by Vice Minister Oliver Blanco, who reported meetings with State Department officials to boost “mutually beneficial” relations.
Edited by Ricardo Vaz in Caracas.
JK Rowling reacts to Harry Potter trailer after ‘millennial slop’ allegations
The new Harry Potter series is winging its way to HBO, but the show, based on the smash-hit books by author, JK Rowling, has divided die-hard fans of the boy wizard
First look at HBO Harry Potter cast including Snape and Dumbledore
JK Rowling has given her take on the new Harry Potter trailer – which has seriously divided fans. The new series on HBO, titled Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, is set to debut on Christmas Day this this year.
Featuring a new cast, including Dominic McLaughlin as Harry, each series will adapt each of Rowling’s seven books across seven seasons over the course of a decade. The teaser opens exactly where fans would expect—at the Dursleys’ house. We see Harry hidden in the now-iconic cupboard, with Petunia Dursley dismissing him as “nothing special”. But almost immediately, the tone shifts. A letter arrives. A door opens. And just like that, the magic starts to happen.
READ MORE: First look at HBO Harry Potter cast including Snape and Dumbledore as release date teasedREAD MORE: True cost of HBO’s Harry Potter – death threats, mounting pressure and ironclad contracts
Responding to the trailer, many fans were excited, as one took to X, exclaiming: “The trailer for the new Harry Potter looks b****y marvellous. I cannot wait, and as it seems to me, neither can the rest of the world.” However, others were not convinced, with one claiming the new offering was little more than “millennial slop”.
On Thursday, Rowling threw her support behind the project, insisting she’s “so happy” with the teaser trailer for the series adaptation of her novels, sharing her reaction to the first look with fans on social media. “It’s going to be incredible,” she exclaimed on X, adding: “I’m so happy with it.”
However, at least some of the book’s fans would disagree, with several slamming the new series in comparison to the Harry Potter films, which were released from 2001 to 2011.
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Several have also complained about the race-swapping of Severus Snape with actor Paapa Essiedu, who recently revealed he’s received racially-motivated death threats over his casting.
Giving their take on the trailer, one fan quipped: “The new Harry Potter show is truly amazing to me. Leftists won’t like because of JKR, right wingers won’t like it because JKR retconned a bunch of characters to try and be woke, and the kids of today won’t like it because it’s literally f******g millennial slop.”
Meanwhile, Rowling’s controversial views on the trans community have also called the series into question, with one fan tweeting: “You cannot ‘separate the art from the artist’ with Harry Potter.”
Scheduled to premiere on Christmas Day, Harry Potter began filming in the UK last summer.
Its cast includes McLaughlin as the titular boy wizard, Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley, Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger, John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall and Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid.
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Holiday warning for Brits as UK Foreign Office says ‘expect long queues’ at the airport due to new travel rules
THE UK Foreign Office has warned Brits heading abroad to be wary of longer-than-usual airport queues ahead of new travel rules being fully rolled out next month.
The new EES requirement has already resulted in lengthy wait times at airports and are predicted to only get worse across the next few weeks.
The Entry/Exit System (EES) is the new travel system replacing the need for a passport stamp by automatically checking when a person enters and exits an EU country.
Non‑EU residents have to register their details on their first visit to a Schengen area country.
This is done using the EES machines at airports and ferry terminals to log their fingerprints, facial images and scan passports.
With lots of Brits are still yet to register, and with an influx of families heading abroad over the upcoming Easter break – it’s anticipated that this will result in delays and queues at the EES machines.
New advice on the government website reads: “Ahead of the Easter holidays, Brits are being advised to be aware of extra border checks – the EU’s Entry Exit System (EES) – and allow additional time at the border when travelling to the EU.”
It added: “EES checks should take only a few minutes per person, although longer waits at border control are possible, including for your journeys back to the UK.”
From April 10, EES will be fully operational with with every participating border crossing using the system.
Previously, there have been reports of delays of up to four hours with Brits lining up in the airport to use the EES machines.
Travel Reporter Alice Penwill queued for three hours through Lanzarote Airport.
Other airports that have seen long delays include Brussels, Lisbon and Prague.
Some passengers could be subject to further delays – especially those heading to Spain as ground staff are planning to strike at 12 airports across the country.
Several Spanish unions are set to begin an indefinite strike too from today.
Walkouts are planned to take place on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, across three time slots: from 5am to 7am, from 11am to 5pm and from 10pm to midnight.
Other baggage handling staff have planned 24-hour strikes on March 28-29 and April 2-6.
Airports that could be disrupted by these strikes include Madrid-Barajas, Málaga-Costa del Sol, Alicante-Elche, Palma de Mallorca, Barcelona-El Prat, Bilbao, Valencia and Bilbao.
It could disrupt also affect airports on popular Spanish islands too, like Gran Canaria, Tenerife Sur and Norte, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura and Ibiza.
Here are Sun Travel’s top tips on how to deal with EES travel chaos…
Here are our top tips on how to ease the travel chaos if you’re caught up in EES delays…
- Sit at the front
First off is quite simple, book a seat at the front of the plane. If you want to get to border control before the rest of the passengers on your flight, then by being at the front, you’ll be able to get off first. - Early flights
When you’re booking, it might ease wait times if you go head out on one of the first flights of the day. There are generally fewer scheduled flights and they experience less disruption. - Anticipate delays
If you are taking a connecting flight, we’d advise to anticipate delays. Of course this varies from airport to airport, but some travellers might find it will take longer to get through because of the EES requirements. Similarly, if someone’s collecting you perhaps give them a bit more time – especially if they’re in one of the pick-up zones that costs money. - Go for a bigger airport
If you can go to a bigger airport and take a longer road transfer, it could be worth it At a larger airport there’s likely to be more EES machines than at one of the smaller ones For example, Assistant Travel Editor Sophie Swietochowski found there were plenty more of the machines in Spain‘s Alicante Airport than in Austria‘s Salzburg. - Bring entertainment
If you have children, or are generally just bored of queues (and who can blame you?) – think about entertainment It could be worth setting the kids up with an iPad or something that will keep them occupied. Bring a reserve of snacks because standing in line means no access to the airport’s cafes and shops. - Get into the priority lane
For those who are disabled and require assistance make sure to let the airline know in advance as you would usually. After landing, staff should escort you straight through to the front of border control queues. Many major airports offer priority family lanes at passport control for families with young children (usually under 12 years old). - Use the plane facilities
Quite simply, if you are going to be waiting in line for yours, then you want to be comfortable. So before landing, go to the toilet on the plane. If you’re queueing along corridors before heading into border control, then the chances are there won’t be access to toilets
For more on Easter breaks, here are 10 European getaways under £200 per person from beach resorts to cool cities.
And here are 10 of the most affordable English seaside towns for Easter holidays with £1 rides, £2 pints & mega cheap hotels.
Football quiz: Name England’s line-up from their 2014 World Cup match with Uruguay
England take on Uruguay in a friendly on Friday and to mark the match we’re looking back to the last time the two played each other at the 2014 World Cup.
Luis Suarez starred in the Group D encounter, helping Uruguay to a 2-1 win which, after other results went against England, essentially knocked Roy Hodgson’s side out of the tournament.
It’s not a game England fans remember too fondly, but can you pick out the players who started the match? We’ve given you their positions and clubs at the time as a clue.
Now in power, Nepal’s rapper-politician Balen Shah faces new challenge | Politics
For the first 18 years of post-monarchy Nepal, the country had 14 prime ministers — leaders changing almost every year, with some taking office, being forced out, and then returning again a few years later.
On March 5, Nepal appeared to draw a line in the sand. Months after a Gen Z-led uprising ousted the then prime minister, KP Sharma Oli, millions of voters chose rapper-turned politician Balendra Shah — or Balen as he is widely known — and his Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) to lead the nation. On Friday, March 27, Shah was sworn in as Nepal’s prime minister.
The RSP is barely four years old, and Shah’s only prior political experience is as mayor of the capital, Kathmandu.
Now, with a landslide win, analysts and voters say that Shah and the RSP have an historic opportunity to build on the popular 2025 revolt and deliver on the aspirations of young Nepalis. But with that opportunity comes risks, they add.
“There is so much excitement with the heavy mandate. This is a historical and unprecedented opportunity for him to execute his agenda because his party is likely to have close to a two-thirds majority,” political analyst Bishnu Sapkota told Al Jazeera. But, he added, “ expectations are enormous. I do not think it is realistic for him to fully meet them.”
Too big a mandate?
In the election, Shah defeated Oli in a constituency that had been the former prime minister’s stronghold for decades. The RSP won 125 of the 165 first-past-the-post seats in parliament. Seats determined through proportional representation — 110 seats are up for grabs — are yet to be divided among parties, but everything points to a two-thirds majority for the RSP.
That’s a larger mandate than even the RSP itself expected.
“We were expecting just over a 50 percent majority, but a two-thirds mandate was beyond our expectations,” RSP leader Shishir Khanal told Al Jazeera. Khanal, who was a lawmaker in the outgoing parliament, won re-election on March 5.
“The challenge is that such a mandate creates very high expectations among people, who want fast results. Given Nepal’s institutional capacity and almost stagnant economic growth, delivering those results will be extremely difficult.”
One immediate test for Shah will be implementing the findings of the Karki Commission, formed by the interim Sushila Karki government that took charge after Oli’s ouster last year. The commission was tasked with investigating the killings and property damage during the Gen Z movement last year. The panel submitted its report to the government last Sunday. This interim government is expected to hand over the investigation to the incoming Shah government to implement.
“There is a popular demand that the report be made public and implemented quickly,” Sapkota, the analyst, said. “If the interim government hands over the report as promised, implementation will have to happen in stages. As soon as he begins doing that, political reactions will follow, and he will have to manage them carefully.” The protests last year were driven by public anger over corruption, poor governance and lack of accountability, issues that voters expect the new government to address urgently. High-profile corruption investigations involving politicians are likely to be among the upcoming government’s first major tasks.
That won’t be an easy challenge to address.
Shah joined the RSP only weeks before the election, and was nominated as its prime ministerial candidate, while Rabi Lamichhane, the television presenter-turned-politician who founded the party, remains its president.
Lamichhane himself remains a controversial figure, facing allegations of fraud, organised crime and money laundering. He has previously served jail sentences and is currently out on bail. Lamichhane is accused of illegally holding two passports, US and Nepali, which is forbidden under Nepali law.
Two power centres?
The relationship between Shah and Lamichhane — and the balance of power between them — will also come under scrutiny, say experts.
Gehendra Lal Malla, professor of political science at Tribhuvan University in Kathmandu, described their alliance as a “marriage of convenience”.
“Balen needed a party to contest the election, and Rabi needed Balen’s popularity,” he said. “But differences could emerge later.”
Malla said Shah will also face a difficult test in dealing with the ongoing charges against Lamichhane. “We have a culture in Nepal where politicians protect each other,” he said. “Shah must uphold the rule of law and not protect anyone from his own party.”
At the same time, Malla noted that Shah’s popularity was the main factor behind the RSP’s success. “Balen’s appeal was the reason the party gained such a huge mandate,” he said. “He could end up having a stronger grip on the party than its president.”
Analyst Sapkota said that the RSP leadership, including Lamichhane, would need to acknowledge that the overwhelming mandate they received was largely because of Shah’s appeal. “They have to recognise that and give Shah absolute freedom to form the cabinet of his choice. Of course, the party can give their inputs and suggestions,” said Sapkota.
Khanal said, based on the conversation and an agreement they had signed, Shah will lead the government and Lamichhane the party. “From that perspective, they have their individual role sorted out, and both will have to face challenges and manage expectations on their own respective front,” Khanal told Al Jazeera. “I have observed them work very closely together within the last election cycle and campaigning. Their decision-making has also been in collaboration. So, with what I have experienced so far, there wouldn’t be any friction between them.”
The first 100 days
For Sapkota, Shah’s political novelty might work in his favour. “He doesn’t have the baggage of party cadres and internal factions,” Sapkota said. “That gives him more freedom compared to previous prime ministers.”
RSP leaders say the government plans to move quickly. “In the first 100 days, the honeymoon period, people will begin to see changes,” Khanal said.
The party has planned to prioritise anticorruption measures, including investigations into the wealth of senior officials and politicians since 1990. “We want to form a commission to investigate the assets of high-level officials and reopen high-profile corruption cases that were paused,” Khanal said.
These steps respond directly to the demands of last year’s Gen Z protests.
For many young activists who drove the protests, the election result represents hope, but also a new government that must be held accountable.
Gen Z activist Yujan Rajbhandari, 23, said the new government must prioritise good governance and protect civic freedoms, or face pushback from the same movement that enabled its rise. “With the RSP’s large majority, parliamentary opposition will be weak,” he said. “So the streets will play a major role as opposition.”
Beyond immediate reforms, Nepal is in the middle of a debate about whether to introduce broader constitutional reforms — with questions about how decentralised power needs to be.
Khanal said the party plans to establish a committee to review whether amendments may be necessary.
Shah’s critics have also questioned his diplomatic skills, citing past social media posts attacking Nepal’s neighbours, including India and China, and important partners such as the US. As Kathmandu mayor, he briefly banned Indian films and displayed a “Greater Nepal” map that showed Indian territory as part of an aspirational larger Nepal.
Sapkota said those concerns were being overblown.
“When he made those remarks, he was a mayor, not a national leader responsible for foreign policy,” he said. Sapkota argued that Shah’s lack of political baggage could allow Nepal to pursue a more independent diplomacy. “This is a clean slate,” he said. “Previous leaders had historical ties and obligations with different countries. Shah does not have that baggage, which could give Nepal greater independence.”
Neighbouring India has already signalled a willingness to work with Nepal’s new leadership.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated both Shah and Lamichhane after the election and expressed hopes for stronger bilateral relations. Shah responded by emphasising the importance of maintaining the “historical, close and multifaceted relations” between Nepal and India and congratulating India for their recent T20 Cricket World Cup win.
For Malla, another important element to watch would be Shah’s relationship with the media. “Balen should engage more with the press once he becomes prime minister,” he said. “In the past, he has often said he prefers to work more and talk less. But as a national leader, communication and accountability are essential.”
How extensive is Russia’s military aid to Iran? | US-Israel war on Iran News
“A bit” is what United States President Donald Trump thinks about the scale of Russia’s military aid to Iran.
Moscow “might be helping them a bit”, he told Fox News on March 13.
A day later, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated laconically that Moscow’s military cooperation with Tehran was “good”.
His words seemed to confirm earlier media reports that Russia is providing Iran with satellite and intelligence data on the locations of US warships and aircraft.
It may not sound like much, given the superiority of Western military satellites and Russia’s battlefield losses and communication problems after Elon Musk’s SpaceX company switched off smuggled Starlink satellite Internet terminals.
But data on US military assets Iran is receiving most likely comes from Liana, Moscow’s only fully functional system of spy satellites, according to an expert on Russia’s space programme and military.
“The [Liana] system has been created to spy on US carrier strike groups and other navy forces and for identifying them as targets,” Pavel Luzin, a senior fellow at the Jamestown Foundation, a US think tank, told Al Jazeera.
Eyes in the sky
Russia also played a key role in the development of Iran’s space programme and its key satellite, the Khayyam.
Launched in 2022 from Russia’s Baikonur cosmodrome, the 650kg (1,430 pound) satellite orbits the Earth at 500 kilometres (310 miles) and has a resolution of one metre (3.3 feet).
Moscow “can, in theory, receive and process data from Iran’s optical imaging satellite and share data from its own several satellites”, Luzin said.
On Wednesday, Tehran claimed to have struck the Abraham Lincoln carrier with multiple cruise and ballistic missiles, but the Pentagon called the claim “pure fiction”.
On Sunday, Iranian media claimed that a “massive blaze” was caused by a strike on a US destroyer refuelling in the Indian Ocean.
Washington did not comment on that strike.
Russia has, for decades, supplied weaponry to Iran, including advanced air defence systems, trainer and fighter jets, helicopters, armoured vehicles and sniper rifles, worth billions of dollars.
Since Washington and Tel Aviv began their strikes on February 28, Russia has continued aiding Iran with “intelligence, data, experts and components” for weaponry, Lieutenant General Ihor Romanenko, former deputy chief of Ukraine’s general staff of armed forces, told Al Jazeera.
While Moscow and Tehran loudly proclaim their strategic partnership, they do not have a mutual defence clause, and Moscow has not intervened in the conflict directly.
But the arms supplies have been mutual. Since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Tehran has provided Moscow with ammunition and artillery shells, firearms and short-range ballistic missiles, helmets and flak jackets.
Drones with ‘comets’
And then there are the Shahed kamikaze drones – slow, noisy, yet cheap to manufacture – which have been launched on Ukrainian cities in swarms of dozens and then hundreds. Ukraine became so adept at bringing these down – now mass-producing cheap interceptor systems specifically to target Shaheds – that it is now providing its own know-how to Gulf states where US military assets have come under fire from Iran in recent weeks.
In the course of its war with Ukraine, Moscow has manufactured and modernised Shaheds, making them faster and deadlier, and equipping them with cameras, navigators and, occasionally, artificial intelligence modules.
And now, some of the upgrades have made their way back to Iran.
A Shahed drone with a pivotal Russian component launched by Iran-backed Hezbollah from southern Lebanon was able to hit a British airbase on Cyprus on March 1, the UK’s Times newspaper reported on March 7.
It reportedly contained Kometa-B (Comet B), a Russian-made satellite navigation module that also acts as an anti-jamming shield, making drones more resistant to interference.
Russia has also perfected the tactic of sending waves of real and decoy drones to exhaust and overwhelm Western-supplied air defence systems in Ukraine.
These days, the scheme helps Iran hit targets in the Gulf, Western officials say.
“I think no one will be surprised to believe that Putin’s hidden hand is behind some of the Iranian tactics and potentially some of their capabilities as well,” British Defence Secretary John Healey said on March 12 after Iranian drones struck a base used by Western forces in Erbil, northern Iraq.
However, if Iran is suffering a shortage of drones – as some analysts believe it is – that would render the use of Russian tactics, as well as Russia-supplied satellite data useless, experts say.
“Russia does supply data, it’s obvious, the data helps Iran, but not much,” Nikita Smagin, a Russian expert who has written extensively on ties between Moscow and Tehran, told Al Jazeera.
After four days of intensive strikes using up to 250 drones a day in early March, Iran has been launching only up to 50 drones a day, according to Nikolay Mitrokhin, a researcher with Germany’s Bremen University.
“Iran ran out of steam really fast,” he told Al Jazeera.
‘A goodwill gesture’
Moreover, Moscow is not necessarily particularly interested in an Iranian military victory, as the war is benefitting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s own conflict in Ukraine.
Skyrocketing oil prices make “Putin financially capable of further hostilities,” Lieutenant General Romanenko said.
As Iran strangles shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, the price of Brent crude – the international benchmark – has soared past $100 a barrel in the past three weeks. US President Donald Trump was forced to temporarily suspend sanctions on shipped Russian oil to ease the economic backlash. The result has been tankers laden with Russian oil bound for China making U-turns in the open ocean to divert to India, as countries scramble to grab Russian oil cargoes out at sea. The price of Urals crude has bounced.
Putin “hasn’t achieved his goals in Ukraine and will therefore use anything, including the war [in Iran] and lies to achieve his vision, press with his ultimatums,” Romanenko said.
The Kremlin “doesn’t pursue a breakthrough in this war, doesn’t help Iran break the United States and Israel,” Ruslan Suleymanov, an associate fellow at the New Eurasian Strategies Center, a US-British think tank, told Al Jazeera.
The current intelligence and military aid is “more of a goodwill gesture, an attempt to create an illusion of help, to show Tehran that despite the lack of formal commitments, Russia doesn’t leave its friend in need”, he said.
And Tehran fully understands how insufficient Moscow’s aid is – and therefore relies on its own stratagem of expanding hostilities to the entire region through strikes on neighbouring states and of crippling the global economy with soaring oil prices.
“Iranians understand that the forces are not equal and it’s impossible to defeat the United States and Israel on the battlefield, and no Russian aid is going to help,” he said.
It seems that Trump’s assessment that Moscow “might be helping them a bit” may not be too far wide of the mark.
Venezuela Fury, 16, looks amazing in gold dress and tiara as she celebrates hen do with mum Paris ahead of her wedding
BRIDE-TO-BE Venezuela Fury, 16, looked amazing in her gold dress and tiara as she celebrated her hen do with mum Paris ahead of her wedding.
The teen has enjoyed a whirlwind engagement after it was revealed her boyfriend Noah Price, 17, got down on one knee at her 16th birthday party and popped the question.
The young couple have not yet announced a date for their wedding, but as the hen do was last night, this could be a big hint their big day is getting closer.
Venezuela, who appears in the Fury family’s hit Netflix reality series At Home With The Furys, pulled out all the stops as she stepped out for her bachelorette party.
The teen was dressed in a stunning metallic dress, and matching strappy heels.
Venezuela wore her hair up on top of her head with a tiara and bridal veil.
She also made sure to flash her huge engagement ring as she made her way into her hen do, which was held at Morecambe Football Club
As Venezuela walked into her party, she told The Daily Mail: “I can’t wait. I’m really looking forward to married life. I’m very happy and excited.”
The youngster was joined by her glam mum Paris, 36, who looked incredible in her white bodycon dress.
The mother-of-eight showed off her stunning figure in the skintight dress.
It has been reported that Venezuela had an estimated 300 guests at the hen party.
According to the Mail, party goers were treated to a huge buffet, Karaoke and a DJ.
When it was announced last September that the teenager had got engaged, there was some backlash from fans, due to her age.
Venezuela has since been forced to hit back at trolls who have said that she is too young to marry.
Earlier this month the teen’s mum Paris, who has seven other children, shared her thoughts on the upcoming wedding.
“I didn’t feel old enough for this, but Venezuela is over-the-moon happy,” she told The Mirror.
“The two of them are in their own little bubble. And, look, I got married myself at 18.”
Although Paris is delighted for Venezuela and Noah, she insisted it is “too soon” for the pair to start having children – saying they want to travel first.
The mother-of-eight also admitted that she’s worried about herself when her eldest child eventually moves out.
She said: “I’ll feel like I’ve lost my arm. It’s going to hit me hard.
“Right now, Tyson’s in training camp in Thailand, the kids are in school, and Venezuela and I… basically co‐parent!
“But I do let her have her space. The weekends are her time. I know she’ll be fine, getting on with an exciting new life. It’s me I’m worried about.”
It comes as bride-to-be Venezuela recently revealed she is already packing up items to move into a house with her fiance Noah, who is a boxer and an East Midlands belt holder.
In a Q&A with fans on Instagram, the teenager confirmed she would be staying with her parents until she is married.
Venezuela told followers: “I’m trying to get everything booked for May/June time, but I’m not sure when it will be.
“I will be in my mam and dad’s home til I’m married.”
In order to get ready to set up her marital home, Venezuela has been buying home items ready and showed off the results from a haul.
Paris also recently opened up about her feelings surrounding Venezuela’s engagement, which has sparked controversy among fans regarding her age.
But speaking to The Sun, the matriarch insisted she’s “really pleased” for her daughter, adding: “I got engaged at 17, so even though I feel she’s young, I did it.
“I wouldn’t change a thing.
“So if that’s what she wants to do, then 100 per cent, me and her dad support her.”
Paris also dropped some hints about Venezuela’s upcoming wedding as she says the teen isn’t “rushing to plan weddings” – in sharp contrast to her daughter’s Instagram remarks.
“She’s not rushing to plan weddings or get married,” she said.
“We have very different tastes.
“She has said she wants a smaller wedding, so if that’s what she wants, I’ll go along with it.”
Ion Beam Applications SA GAAP EPS of €0.43, revenue of €620.2M
Ion Beam Applications SA GAAP EPS of €0.43, revenue of €620.2M
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England: Will Uruguay be Thomas Tuchel’s toughest test so far?
England won all eight of their qualifying games, scoring 22 goals and conceding none to finish comfortably clear at the top of Group K.
However, their group opponents were Albania, Andorra, Latvia and Serbia – four sides ranked outside the top 20 in the world.
Indeed their toughest test in terms of ranking last year was a friendly against Senegal, who were 19th in the world at the time. England lost 3-1.
It may have been a non-competitive match, but the Three Lions’ performance in that game was concerning.
“No discernible plan. No identity. No improvement – arguably even a regression – since Sir Gareth Southgate stepped down after defeat by Spain in the Euro 2024 final in Berlin,” wrote BBC Sport’s chief football writer Phil McNulty after the game.
“[Tuchel] may offer up mitigating circumstances as he made 10 changes from the World Cup qualifying win against Andorra, plus this was a friendly at the end of a long season. But it was still a sobering, alarming evening as Senegal outclassed England.”
While that result and performance may have been a blip, England needed to face higher-ranked opponents to test them before heading to the World Cup – and they should get that against Uruguay and then Japan, who are 19th in the world.
Ryanair explains why thousands of flights have been cancelled
Ryanair is calling on passengers to act
Ryanair chiefs have explained (Image: tupungato via Getty Images)
Thousands of Ryanair flights have been cancelled, with the budget carrier continuing its campaign to “keep EU skies open”.
Ryanair has set up a a petition, aimed at the European Commission, to reduce the impact of French Air Traffic Control (ATC) strikes on EU flights. The campaign has now garnered support from more than two million people, with thousands of flights scrapped – and more disrupted – in 2025 alone. In October of last year, Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary said: “It is inexcusable that Europe’s worst performing ATCs in France, Spain, Germany and the UK continue to inflict avoidable delays and cancellations on millions of EU citizens every month.
“Despite warnings, Europe’s ATC performance is not improving, as national providers fail to properly staff and manage their operations. EU ATC needs reform and its passengers who are paying the price.
“ATC delays have already disrupted 33m citizens so far this year, with France, Spain, Germany and the UK consistently failing to staff and manage their services properly.”
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) reported last month that Air Traffic Flow Management (ATFM) delays in Europe have “grown sharply” in recent years, with this “far outpacing traffic growth”. ATFM delays, it said, “have cost airlines and passengers an estimated EUR 17.5 billion since 2015 (in 2025 prices), of which over 70% is linked to capacity shortages and staffing issues”.
The Council of the European Union said last year that “the air traffic control system is increasingly struggling to manage this growing demand”, noting that while “close coordination has been underway for many months between the European Commission and EUROCONTROL as well as ongoing planning between the EUROCONTROL Network Manager, airlines, airports, air navigation service providers and the military … resolving the issue also requires political will at the national level as each country is responsible for providing adequate air traffic services and making the necessary investments to support these services.”
Italy to play Bosnia in 2026 World Cup playoff final, Kosovo face Turkiye | Football News
Italy beat Northern Ireland 2-0 to boost their bid to reach a men’s World Cup for the first time since 2014, as Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sweden, Poland, Turkiye, Kosovo, the Czech Republic and Denmark also won their European playoff semifinals.
Four-time champions Italy, who lost out in the playoffs for the 2018 and 2022 editions, travel to Bosnia on Tuesday for the final, knowing a win will send them to June and July’s tournament in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
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Sandro Tonali blasted in superbly from the edge of the box in the second half of a nervous one-off semifinal in Bergamo on Thursday before Moise Kean made the game safe.
“We made life a bit difficult for ourselves, but in the second half we found our rhythm,” Italy coach and 2006 champion Gennaro Gattuso said. “Now we’re going to play this final. We know it’s difficult. The tension we feel will be felt by our opponents, too.”
Bosnia overcame Wales on penalties in Cardiff following a 1-1 draw after extra time.
Daniel James used his pace to score early in the second period for the hosts, and Karl Darlow then made a wonder save from an Ermedin Demirovic header. Edin Dzeko, 40, levelled late on in normal time.
Darlow saved again from Demirovic in the shootout, but Brennan Johnson and Neco Williams both missed.
Kosovo have never reached a World Cup, but are through to Tuesday’s playoff final at home to Turkiye after winning a wild game in Slovakia 4-3.
The Kosovans twice wiped out a deficit, and Kreshnik Hajrizi’s goal on 72 minutes proved the difference.
Ferdi Kadioglu’s second-half goal put Turkiye through after a tight 1-0 home win over Romania.
Kadioglu calmly netted on 53 minutes after Arda Guler’s magical assist at Besiktas’s stadium in Istanbul.
Romania’s 80-year-old coach Mircea Lucescu, who counts Turkiye among his former jobs, was left to rue Nicolae Stanciu hitting the post as the Tricolours missed the World Cup for the seventh straight edition.
Turkiye, third in 2002, have not reached a men’s World Cup since.
Viktor Gykeres bagged a hat-trick in Sweden’s 3-1 win over Ukraine in Valencia. Ukraine have not played at home since the Russian full-scale invasion more than four years ago, and miss out on another World Cup.
Graham Potter’s Swedes next take on Poland, who came from behind to defeat Albania 2-1 in Warsaw.
Arbr Hoxha pounced 42 minutes after Jan Bednarek’s mistake as Albania dreamed of moving closer to a first World Cup appearance. But record Poland scorer Robert Lewandowski equalised, and Piotr Zielinski won it in style with a goal from distance.
Gustav Isaksen scored twice in two minutes to help Denmark thump North Macedonia 4-0 and set up a meeting away to the Czech Republic, who needed penalties to get past Ireland in Prague.
Troy Parrott, the hero as the Irish made the playoffs at the end of November’s group stage, netted the opener from the spot, and an own goal summed up the poor Czech defence.
But the hosts pulled one back through Patrik Schick’s penalty and Ladislav Krejci’s late header to make it 2-2, prompted by a cagey extra time, with the Czechs prevailing in a shootout.
This year’s tournament, in North America in June and July, will feature an expanded 48 teams, meaning more nations have a chance to qualify.
Twelve European countries have already gotten through by winning their groups. The playoffs are made up of second-placed teams and sides who did well in the previous Nations League.
Bolivia beat Suriname, Jamaica edge New Caledonia to reach playoff finals
In FIFA’s intercontinental playoff games on Thursday, Bolivia rallied to beat Suriname 2-1 to qualify for the final qualifying playoff against Iraq.
Liam Van Gelderen put Suriname ahead in the 48th minute, but Moises Paniagua tied the score at the 72nd, and Miguel Terceros had the winning goal on a penalty kick in the 79th minute for the Bolivians, who are aiming for their second World Cup appearance.
The Bolivians have only previously played in the 1994 World Cup in the US. Suriname were looking to qualify for the first time.
Bolivia will play Iraq next Tuesday in Monterrey, with the winner qualifying for Group I with France, Norway and Senegal.
Elsewhere on Thursday, a first-half goal by Wrexham striker Bailey Cadamarteri gave Jamaica a 1-0 victory over New Caledonia and a place in the international playoff final against the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
The Reggae Boyz have only one World Cup appearance, at France in 1998. New Caledonia, from Oceania, saw their chance to advance to a first World Cup end.
Jamaica will face DRC next Tuesday at Akron Stadium in Guadalajara. DRC qualified for the playoff by defeating Nigeria in an African playoff.
The winner in Guadalajara will play in Group K in the tournament along with Colombia, Portugal and Uzbekistan.
Veteran KC-135 Base Commander’s View Of Epic Fury’s Strain On The Tanker Force
Operation Epic Fury will hit a month old by the weekend. It and the massive military build-up to it were made possible by a global logistics chain that only the Pentagon can supply. At the heart of it is the aerial refueling fleet. These aircraft have flown thousands of sorties to get materiel where it needs to be and fast. These have included stuffing the fuel tanks of C-17s with cargo holds full of Patriot missiles to dragging stealth fighters across the globe. Epic Fury has been one of many operations to heavily tax the tanker fleet in recent years. To get a much better insight into the tanker portion of the war and its impacts, we talked to one man with an extreme level of experience behind the controls of USAF tankers.
For more than 20 years, Troy Pananon, a retired Air Force colonel, served in the aerial refueling community. He flew KC-10 Extender and KC-135 Stratotanker refueling jets and served as deputy commander of the 6th Air Mobility Wing at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida (now 6th Air Refueling Wing), and later as commander of the 100th Air Refueling Wing at RAF Mildenhall in England. Both of these installations and their KC-135s are instrumental in the ongoing war in Iran.
In a two-hour, wide-ranging exclusive interview, Pananon offered insights into the strain of the war on the jets and personnel and the challenges of keeping the aging KC-135s flying as they perform hundreds of sorties gassing up fighters, airlifters and other aircraft. One of those missions resulted in the deaths of six airmen after a suspected midair collision over Iraq. Pananon also addressed a whole host of other issues, including how Epic Fury is affecting readiness for a fight against China, the scourge of drone incursions and much more, which will be addressed in future installments.
Pananon, who began his career as an enlisted Marine, retired from the Air Force in 2023 and is now a 737 first officer with United Airlines. The first installment of our conversation focuses on Epic Fury and the toll on the tankers, crews and maintainers. Some of the questions and answers have been lightly edited for clarity.
Q: The Air Force tanker fleet has come under extremely heavy use in recent years, being widely utilized in the evacuation of Afghanistan, the massive deliveries to Ukraine, the constant crisis in the Middle East and the campaign against the Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro. Now, the war in Iran. Talk about the strain this is putting on it, on the aircrews, the maintainers and the airframes, some of which rolled out during the Eisenhower era.
A: I would categorically say that there’s a huge strain on the entire ecosystem. The KC-135s were rolling off the assembly line in the 50s and 60s. Some of the technology, and we called it technology back then, was graduated from the Wright brothers technology. Parts on that aircraft are still reminiscent of some of the things that were invented by the Wright brothers. So it’s amazing to me that the KC-135 is able to operate, and it’s due in large part to the maintainers and the relentless effort that they follow through to keep those aircraft air worthy.
If you think about the [airmen], how they’re operating in places you mentioned all over the world, they’re there. We’ve broken their normal routine. They’re away from home, away from their family and friends. So that’s a mental and physical stressor, because they’re in environments that they’re not accustomed to.
We don’t know how long this conflict could last. We’re approaching a high heat of summer in that region, and so depending on where some of these personnel are based or stationed, they’re certainly out of their normal circadian rhythm, their normal environmental routines. It is a huge strain on those maintainers and the airframes that we’re placing in different parts of the world, exposed to different elements than they may have been exposed to at their normal pace. Maintaining these aging aircraft is a strain on the entire ecosystem, and we are operating them at a high operations tempo, and surely that puts a lot of a significant strain on the KC-135.
We do have the KC-46 that is helping to fill some of that void, but we just retired the KC-10, which was a tremendous workhorse. And so I would say that there’s a significant strain on the ecosystem.
Q: What are the biggest challenges in keeping these Cold War-era jets like the KC-135 flying? How difficult is it to find parts, and what do you do when you can’t?
A: That’s 100% accurate. There have been some breakthroughs in technology. I know that they’ve used 3D printing to help source some parts. They’ve even gone back to the boneyard and pulled parts off of older KC-135s. So resources will always be a great puzzle for our entire team to source.
There’s no new assembly line. They shut that assembly line down back in the ’50s and ’60s. Some of the parts for those aircraft in general were from the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s. And then, you have to take those back and refurbish those certain parts. There’s not a lot of new technology that’s going on to these core platforms. The avionics, for sure, is newer. But everything that you add to this aircraft, I call it the Frankenstein effort – taking bolt-on technology to try and help modernize the fleet. And by modernizing that means that you’re also helping with the parts availability. But going back to the age of these aircraft, some of these parts were developed back in the ’40s and machined back in the ’50s and ’60s. Our teams have to get creative with the acquisition. And that’s a huge, huge challenge. But they currently have done a great job of putting new engines on the aircraft. And so that means that the parts availability is better in some cases, but it’s not a solution.
Davis Monthan AMARG Boneyard tour with KC-135s and Boeing 707s
Q: What are some of the old parts you’re talking about that go back to the ’40s, or to the Wright brothers era?
A: Just think about the flight controls. If you, for whatever reason, need to replace certain pulleys or elements within the flight control system, those parts were thought-up and developed way back in the ’40s. Machined maybe back in the ’50s and ’60s. It’s still not a fly-by-wire aircraft like some of the modern aircraft that we have nowadays. And so you have to go back and machine some of these parts if they get wear and tear.
Q: What are the complexities of supporting such a high tempo operation like the war against Iran with aerial refueling? We’ve heard that the airspace over Iraq is chaotic and that the lack of onboard situational awareness is a major issue with tanker crews and receivers. What have you heard about this?
A: Obviously I haven’t operated over there in a number of years, but I do go back to the times when I was operating aircraft in that theater. That puts me back into the Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom timeframe. We have deconfliction procedures. We have airspace procedures that we study and that we follow. We have aircraft in there that help us deconflict the airspace and ensure that we have safe separation. And it goes to training, it goes to situational awareness.
Back then, we didn’t have some of the avionics and software suites that we have available to us today, so our situational awareness wasn’t as high, but yet we had good, solid procedures and processes that ensured clear deconfliction and separation in the airspace that they’re operating in. Now, I would assume that it’s congested and it’s contested, and so having the ability to have higher situational awareness with onboard avionics suites that are connected is probably more and more essential as we go forward.
Q: But have you heard anything about the chaotic nature of the current airspace and lack of onboard situational awareness? Is it a major issue right now with the tanker crews and receivers?
A: I really can’t comment on it, because I don’t have firsthand knowledge. What I can say is that it’s in a contested environment, and our crews are definitely trained to operate in these kinds of environments. And you know, it’s just like anything there. There are elements that we have little control over, and I call it the fog and friction of warfare. But I have 100% absolute trust in the personnel. They’ve been trained. They are equipped. Could they be equipped better? Could they be resourced better? Sure. But again, it still goes back to the fact that even if we resource them with the newest technology, they then have to go back and be trained to understand how to integrate it and how to use it effectively.
There is still an opportunity here. You can’t solve it overnight, but it does need to happen so it would help. I’m certain that if we ever get into conflict with a near peer, it’s going to be even more challenging.
Q: When was the last time tanker crews flew in contested airspace against adversaries with more robust air defenses than we have seen in past conflicts?
A: I would like to say that any time that you’re operating within a conflict zone, that’s considered contested airspace, right? The tankers are considered a high-value, low-density. We don’t have an infinite number of tankers, so they’re going to tend to operate outside the reach of the adversary’s missiles, or fighter aircraft that would try to reach and take down one of these tankers. So they’re really going to try and operate within a safe, safe zone. I would frankly say that in a conflict, tankers operate in contested airspace all the time, and it’s really contingent on the ability of our joint force to clear that airspace and to allow our tankers to move closer to the tip of the spear, but generally speaking, it is really sacrosanct to keep tankers an arm’s reach away from an adversary’s ability to take them down.
Q: Do you have any sense of what happened in the fatal March 12 KC-135 crash in Iraq that led to the deaths of Maj. John “Alex” Klinner, 33, of Auburn, Alabama; Capt. Ariana G. Savino, 31, of Covington, Washington; Tech. Sgt. Ashley B. Pruitt, 34, of Bardstown, Kentucky; Capt. Seth R. Koval, 38, of Mooresville, Indiana; Capt. Curtis J. Angst, 30, of Wilmington, Ohio; and Tech. Sgt. Tyler H. Simmons, 28, of Columbus, Ohio?
A: There’s an investigation taking place and it’d be wrong of me to comment on what I think took place. These crews are highly trained. They have a process. They have procedures. I don’t know what was taking place on the flight decks of both of those aircraft. There was probably some confusion as to who and where each aircraft was supposed to be, but I don’t know what led to that. There’s a lot of speculation out there. It’d be hard for me to really say what I think actually did happen.
Q: The cause of the tanker crash is suspected to be a collision with another KC-135. How many close calls have you experienced in your career?
A: Well, I have a deep background in the KC-10, and that also gives gas and takes gas. So I’ve been within 10 feet of another aircraft, operating at close to 350 miles an hour. It’s an inherently dangerous occupation when you’re trying to receive fuel from another aircraft. I don’t think that was the case in this particular incident over Iraq. But at all times, everything we do is inherently dangerous because we operate within safe operating margins, but they’re tight. So, a simple split-second decision or maybe error puts you in a precarious position. But we have procedures that, if we make a mistake and we come close to another aircraft – there is a term that we use, which is ‘breakaway.’ And that tells both aircraft, ‘hey, we’re in a situation where we need to create some space between our aircraft,’ and we follow our procedures. It’s a safe maneuver, but probably makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up a little bit. I’ve been in this, I’ve been in situations where I’ve had to rapidly escape from another aircraft.
But again, we get trained for this. We are highly trained. And I think because of the training, when a situation like that occurs, your instinct kicks in and you know what to do. And so, I don’t recall instances where two KC-135s had a midair collision, but certainly, we have had air-to-air collisions, just none in my recent memory.
Q: The air refueling tanker community is tight. You served at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, with Tech. Sgt. Pruitt, one of the airmen who was killed in the crash. Tell me about how the crash affected the community. Tell me a little bit about Pruitt.
A: From my time at MacDill, I do remember her family. In general, losing anyone is just a shock to the system. And especially somebody that you may have worked with in the past, and you know. I just feel for their families. And we have a community. The tanker community – it’s just a system, a brotherhood and sisterhood. We are just one big family. Anytime we have a tragedy that strikes our community, especially like this, it’s tough.
I know that there are teams of people out there that are remorseful for the loss and that are doing anything in their power to support the families of these airmen. And I know there’s a lot of effort right now within our tanker community and outside of our tanker community with Go-Fund-Me pages. This is critical, because the families that have been affected by this lost a parent, right? A brother or sister or a spouse. I really do feel for these families, and I applaud the efforts of the supporters out there that are contributing to help with some of the things that are going to end up financially costing these families; but emotionally, you know that they will need support, probably for the rest of their lives. And so it’s a huge, huge loss.
Q: What can you tell me about Tech. Sgt. Pruitt?
A: Ashley was full of energy and was extremely bright, tenacious, and had an unmatched work ethic. She was a real, genuine people person. When you walked into a room, you knew she was there. But she was incredibly talented and someone that you could rely upon to help others, and she was absolutely an incredible boom operator and highly skilled and her death is this huge, huge loss. For her legacy, she impacted so many people and so many of these airmen and their families were certainly enriched by her being in their lives. At the time, I was the vice commander of the [then-6th Air Mobility Wing] at MacDill. And on occasion, I would go out and go fly with the KC-135 crews. I didn’t have a daily interaction with her, but everybody knew her, and everybody knew of her. And that’s the important part. There are many other airmen that are in our ranks right now that have benefited from being introduced to her and being taught by her and being mentored by her. So she’s surely missed.
Q: Give me a sense of how RAF Mildenhall and other bases in Europe and elsewhere keep these aircraft flying to generate sorties and deploy to combat zones like the Middle East.
A: The best part about having a forward operating base like Mildenhall is that you have all the resources in place, and in this particular case, they’re closer to where the conflict is. You don’t have as much of a long logistical chain, but you still have a logistics chain that you have to support. And so operating at a place like Mildenhall, a round the clock operation every day of the year, you do have weather to contend with on occasion, and you do have airspace constraints that you do have to contend with. But again, all of these crews are highly trained and so I would say that the operations tempo at a place like Mildenhall is extremely high.
Just being able to have the support of the government there and the host nation that there is, and the local community is a big deal. I enjoyed my time there. Of course, we were there during COVID, during the global pandemic, and the lengths and support that we received from the host nation to ensure the safety of our community and our airmen was incredible.
Q: The 100th Air Refueling Wing has 15 tankers and more transit through. What are the concerns and checklists of objectives for a Mildenhall commander during a major contingency operation like Epic Fury?
A: It’s just our ability to support, right? You mentioned there are 15 tankers, but the airfield itself was able to surge to support twice as many. I currently don’t know how many aircraft that we’re currently supporting out of Mildenhall, but the ability to support that means that you have to be able to flex to the surge of the operation that you’re encountering. You have personnel that are helping to fuel the aircraft. You need personnel to maintain and sustain the aircraft. And so I would assume that we are getting support from bases in the United States. And they’re deployed there from all parts of our country and major units. The tanker fleet is a total force effort. Nearly half of the force resides in the [Air Reserve Component] ARC, and so personnel from Reserve, Guard, active duty, I’m sure, have been sent to help support operations like that.
In our next installment, Pananon talks about the KC-46’s lack of a boom pod, how Epic Fury is affecting the ability to potentially fight China and the dangers of flying long distances over the Pacific against an adversary with robust and plentiful modern air defenses.
Contact the author: howard@thewarzone.com
‘The Irish landscape has always been important to me. It’s a big part of how I’m inspired,’ says singer Dermot Kennedy
FOR Dermot Kennedy’s third album, he wanted to explore both the beauty and burden of a successful music career.
The award-winning Irish singer might headline huge arenas but he has always had his feet firmly on the ground, valuing a normal life, privacy and simple things such as walking in his local woods — the theme of his new record.
He says: “I feel I’m at a sweet spot, because I can play The O2 in London but I can walk around all day and no one really knows who I am.
“Having a career in music is a blessing. It’s the most amazing thing, but at the same time, there are certain challenges that come with it. It tests relationships and tests your own resolve, it’s a pressure. And I wanted to write about that.”
The pull of nature as a place to reset became more powerful to the singer as he found success — both his previous collections, Without Fear (2019) and Sonder (2022), topped the album chart.
“With a career in music, you’re not anonymous, you’re constantly moving from city to city,” he explains.
“Being somewhere where you can only see trees in every direction has become more and more important to me, and more powerful. Where I live is quite remote, and that’s the way I want to be.”
This recurring woodland imagery reflects a sense of calm and nostalgia to Kennedy, and the cover of his new album, The Weight Of The Woods, features the singer in a woodland setting.
As we chat in his central London record label offices, he’s signing a huge pile of his new CDs.
“It’s a great album cover,” he says smiling. “Even signing these all morning, I’m not sick of looking at it yet.”
A standout on Kennedy’s new record is the track Sycamore, a gorgeous introspective ode to home and identity.
“The Irish landscape has always been important to me,” he says. “Where we took the picture for the album still resonates. It’s a big part of how I’m inspired.”
Working with producer Gabe Simon — who produced Noah Kahan’s 2022 breakthrough album, Stick Season — Kennedy made The Weight Of The Woods in Ireland, Nashville and Norway.
He says: “Sycamore is lush and smooth, which felt different for me. It was the first song we made when Gabe came over — there’s a sycamore tree right in front of my house that’s become a kind of talisman in my life. It felt like a lovely way to start.
“A lot of these songs carry a vulnerability I haven’t shown before, and that felt important, because you can’t pretend you’re 100 per cent all the time. It’s just not true.”
This shift shows a new confidence, one that allows him to do things his own way.
“Generally, I’m a quiet person, so on previous albums I wasn’t the loudest in the room whereas with this one, I have the confidence to shout for it and take my time.
“It’s taken this long to get to a point where I know what I want — what I need and what’s authentic.”
The Weight Of The Woods reflects a stage in his life where Kennedy feels more secure, more at home and more fully himself. Now married with a baby daughter, his perspective has shifted in ways he struggles to fully articulate.
“How has fatherhood changed me?” he ponders. “It’s hard to sum up, I can’t explain it in a couple of minutes.
“It just means the world to me and gives you a completely new perspective on life.
“It makes you realise there are more important things than chasing goals in music.
“The best thing I can do now is make music that moves me and try to live in a way that feels like the purest version of who I am. It becomes the centre of everything.
“Fatherhood has given me more confidence, but also a different kind of fragility, making me more emotionally open.
“A lot of these songs carry a vulnerability that I haven’t shown in my music before, and that’s important.”
Musically, Kennedy feels the album has a strong Irishness, though it was not a deliberate concept.
Honest is a track that feels especially personal, as it directly references where he is from in Ireland.
He says: The first lyric is about Kilteel [near Rathcoole, Co Dublin] which is an important part of where I’m from. It’s a more personal record so I needed to tell the story of where I’m from.”
He reflects on the pull of home: “Sometimes when you’re trying to have a career in music, people assume they need to move away and live somewhere else.
“But in Ireland we have one of the richest musical landscapes in the world, you know? So, it’s nice to be a part of that.
“And it’s the most Irish-sounding track. I played the bodhran [a traditional Irish frame drum] on it, the drum you hear at the beginning, and there’s also a tin whistle. It all came together very naturally so these songs feel dynamic to me and they’re really going to work live.”
Wasted is a favourite of Kennedy’s on the record. Inspired by US singer and producer Dijon, he says: “It felt like it had that excited, upbeat energy without being pop. It felt real in the room and exciting.”
Then there’s The Only Time I Prayed, which explores the singer’s relationship with faith.
“I’ve got songs like Glory, and lyrics about the devil, but I’d consider myself definitely agnostic. I believe in otherworldly things but I’m not a practising Catholic.
“Still, when things get difficult, people pray — regardless of faith. It comes from desperation, and I find that fascinating. Sometimes I even feel envious of people with a strong faith.”
Another highlight on the record is Funeral, a stunning track about letting go of the past to move forward.
“I just wanted that song to be about ditching any difficult stuff I’ve been through,” he says.
“Songwriters spend an awful lot of time wallowing in the past and I wanted it to feel triumphant — moving forward into something more positive.
“It felt good and the vocal carries an energy which is always a fun thing on a song.”
On this third album, Kennedy feels more confident, self-assured and clearer about what is authentic to him.
He says: “It’s less inhibition and less stress — not poring over every decision. So confidence showed up in quite a carefree, exciting way.”
It was important to Kennedy that the album was stripped back and imperfect to add to the studio atmosphere.
“Musically, if you listen closely, there are lots of imperfections, little noises other artists or producers might take out,” he says.
“You can hear someone talking, a chair creaking. It puts me back in that room, and I don’t want to lose that.”
That same approach mirrors a wider creative release: “I feel like I’ve let go massively, which is a good thing.”
That sense of letting go has also reshaped how he defines success.
“Any pressure that came with the second album was internal, applied by myself,” he says. “I don’t think being competitive puts me in the best place to be the best artist I can be. I’m pretty sure it doesn’t.
“Tracking streams or records isn’t success to me. With this record, it was just lovely to get back to a place where I really enjoyed making the music, the visual world around it, and playing the songs.
“Don’t get me wrong, I still want lots of people to hear it, but I feel like I’ve already succeeded with this project.
“If it reaches a ton of people, that’s fantastic, but I had a beautiful time making it, and that’s everything.
“When you chase numbers and all that stuff, it’s all quite surface level and not very fulfilling in the end.
“I don’t think trying too hard is the move. It’s important to work hard and promote things, but being overly try-hard isn’t appealing.
“It’s better to sit back and let the music do the work. By letting go — stepping back from social media and putting the music first — it feels more likely to set my career up the way I want it.”
Live performance remains central to Kennedy’s identity. He feels he has built his career the “old-fashioned way” by playing rooms and winning audiences over.
He says: “Nowadays, there’s so many ways that someone can forge a career. You can blow up on the internet or go viral. For me, it’s never really been like that.
“It’s been more about getting people into a room. I think I can play in such a way that they might want to come back and see it again next time.”
“For me, when I dreamed about having a career in music, all I thought about was playing in big, beautiful theatres. So playing live is an important part of what I do.”
Even as he now fills large venues, Kennedy is keen to preserve a sense of intimacy within those spaces.
He explains: “We’re going to do it differently. There are lots of ways you can use tech in a live show. You can run tracks for things like horns and production, but then the whole show ends up on track and can feel like elevated karaoke.
“You can come off stage feeling like you haven’t really achieved much. So, with this tour, we’ve got rid of the click track and any backing tracks. It’s about keeping it real and letting the performance have more freedom.
“We’re getting rid of any kind of bells and whistles, and it’s just fun. I could start a song at any tempo, I could be feeling a certain way that ends up being a faster version with more energy, or we could pull it right back.
“You go to a live show for the energy, and I think it’s far easier to tap into that special place if you don’t have that stuff.”
Kennedy is also more careful about looking after his voice when he tours
“I try not to do more than two nights in a row, because it compromises the rest of the tour. It means I can walk on stage excited, instead of just hoping I get through it.”
It’s part of a wider shift in how he approaches performance. “It’s a process as well, working with vocal coaches and stuff. I run a lot more now, because you need that lung capacity. I’m not sure about other people’s experience touring, but it feels like a sport sometimes.”
That mindset has also made him more aware of the level required to sustain a major live career — something he saw first-hand watching Taylor Swift live.
“Well, I saw her at the venue I’m playing this summer, and it was inspiring.” he says. “I saw Travis, her fiancé, talking about her fitness regime and just how she’s operating at a kind of scary level.
“I find that really inspiring, because it makes you realise this is a very high level of what we do — you have to take it seriously. When someone is that on top of their game, it’s just incredibly motivating.”
“The show is, what, three hours long? It was wild to see. And honestly, it was just cool to be in Dublin and see people so excited by those songs.
“What really struck me was that it was just her songs. You realise this is someone who started out just writing songs, and now it’s millions of people all over the world.
“But it doesn’t feel like some manufactured pop machine. It just feels like someone who writes songs, and that’s what makes it so powerful.”
- The album The Weight Of The Woods is out on April 3.
DERMOT KENNEDY
The Weight of The Woods
★★★★☆
‘A kaleidoscope of colour and life’: readers’ favourite UK spring days out | United Kingdom holidays
Winning tip: puffin-watching in the Inner Hebrides, Scotland
Last April, I based myself in Oban and took my teenagers puffin-watching at Lunga, off Mull, in the Treshnish Isles, with an organised tour (Staffa Tours) by ferry and foot. It was a real delight. The guides were brilliant and helpful, especially with my mobility issues, and we were surprised and amazed at how tame and friendly the puffins were – allowing us to get great views of their faces from as near as 5ft or so. Next spring, we are going again as this is the best time to see them arriving in their thousands.
April
Profile
Readers’ tips: send a tip for a chance to win a £200 voucher for a Coolstays break
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Guardian Travel readers’ tips
Every week we ask our readers for recommendations from their travels. A selection of tips will be featured online and may appear in print. To enter the latest competition visit the readers’ tips homepage
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Stunning architecture in the heart of Surrey
Grade I-listed Claremont Landscape Garden near Esher is great to visit in spring. But time your trip there right and you can also visit a National Trust gem just half a mile away: the Homewood, architect Patrick Gwynne’s 1930s modernist villa and accompanying woodland garden (for pre-booked guided tours only on specific Fridays and Saturdays, April-October). The house itself is stunning, with light pouring through the sitting room’s floor to ceiling windows, but on a sunny spring day the garden, complete with rhododendron tunnel, bamboo thicket, water gardens and stepping stones, proves a tranquil spot in which to linger and view the Le Corbusier-inspired abode.
David M
Sheffield’s Tudor turret
One of our favourite days out as a family in spring is to explore the beautiful Sheffield Manor Lodge. There is a wealth of history to explore in the Turret – my young daughter loves telling everyone who’ll listen that Mary, Queen of Scots was detained here. There are also children’s trails, outdoor games and craft sessions – we’ve made stained glass kites, learned about a frog’s life cycle, had Easter egg hunts and completed outdoor yoga trails. On a warm spring afternoon, it is a stunning place – with a lavender maze, apothecary gardens, wildflower meadows and the amazing rhubarb shed cafe.
Susan
Artistic treasure hunt on the North York Moors
This magical mystery tour combines fresh air, beautiful, wild landscapes and art. The project is called Hanging Stones by Andy Goldsworthy, and it’s set in Rosedale. Several buildings that were in varying states of disrepair have been rebuilt as artworks and are connected by a six-mile walk encompassing Northdale, near Rosedale Abbey. You have to book a slot to find out where the key is, which you will pick up, together with a map, to get started. It’s the treasure hunt style that will get even the youngest in the group excited about the walk, allowing the adults to do something they wouldn’t otherwise dream of doing with children: admiring art and going for a decent walk. The cost is £10 per adult, while students and under-18s go free.
Annelore
Dazzling azaleas in Gloucestershire
I always take my family to Westonbirt Arboretum near Tetbury in spring to celebrate the beautiful spectacle of nature exploding into a kaleidoscope of colour and life. The Arboretum is a breathtaking place, especially under a sunny sky. The well-marked paths mean you can easily wander through its 245 hectares (600 acres) and enjoy the fresh air filled with the delicate scent of blooming cherry blossoms. With more than 15,000 specimens and 2,500 species of trees and shrubs from across the globe, it serves as a stunningly beautiful living gallery. In spring, the arboretum dazzles with azaleas and rhododendrons bursting into brilliant shades of white, red and pink. My teenagers especially enjoy exploring the treetop walkway and quiet woodland trails – and a treat of tea and cake at the well-positioned cafe at the end of it all.
Nicoletta
Wild garlic and lily ponds in Pembrokeshire
For a springtime lift, head to Bosherston Lakes set in three limestone valleys with spectacular displays of lilies. Start in ancient woodlands, where there’s a shimmering, scented carpet of white wild garlic. It feels like a fairytale. Emerge at the serene lily ponds, where you might spot an otter or a heron, then follow the path to Broad Haven South. The moment you hit the dunes and see the beach open up is one of the finest coastal views in the UK. Finish with tea and cake at the nearby Stackpole Walled Gardens; it’s run by Mencap, so your pit stop supports a fantastic cause while you soak up the Pembrokeshire sunshine.
Lucy Coast
Kites fluttering in the Chiltern skies
My favourite UK spring activity is flying kites with my family in the Dunstable Downs. The open hills and steady breeze make it the perfect spot to let our kites dance in the sky. There’s something really joyful about watching the colours flutter along with other kite-flyers. After some fun, we spread out a picnic blanket and enjoy homemade treats while soaking up the sunshine and taking in the beautiful views. It’s such a simple but special way to spend a bright spring day together outdoors.
Victoria
A memorable walk in the Cotswolds
The circular walk from Bourton-on-the Water to the Upper and Lower Slaughters provides a buffet of springtime goodness, from trees in blossom and daffodils to wildflowers and nesting swans. Oh, and don’t worry, the Slaughters aren’t as morbid as they sound. They take their name from the Old English word slohtre, meaning “muddy place”, suggesting suitable footwear is needed. While Bourton-on-the-Water remains a tourist hotspot – the perfect example of an idyllic Cotswolds village – the walk towards the Slaughters via the Windrush Way and the Gloucestershire Way makes for a calming amble soundtracked by rivers and birdsong.
Maxine Harris
Luscious blooms and afternoon tea in Devon
Each spring, my family makes a pilgrimage to Killerton gardens in south Devon to see the glory of magnolia blossom on the south-facing slopes of Dolbury Hill, known locally as the Clump. The luscious blooms of pinks and ivory are the main attraction. It’s wonderful to see the children enjoy the release of running on the first-cut lawn and to watch their grandparents taking in the sight of the sea of daffodils. After a wet winter of grey skies, it’s also wonderful to have tea outside the house, basking in the sunshine.
Simonetta Taylor
A Northumberland beach stroll
Can anything beat standing on a beach getting a lungful of fresh sea air? I don’t care if I’m still having to wrap up in layers with a woolly hat, being on a beach feels like the start of summer. Beadnell beach in Northumberland is a great place for a leisurely wander, with cracking views and lots of dog-friendly places to refuel in the village. The breakfasts at the Courtyard Cafe have fuelled many a walk along the beach.
Hannah S
High school baseball and softball: Thursday’s scores
Thursday’s Results
BASEBALL
CITY SECTION
Central City Value 14, Rise Kohyang 3
Chatsworth 6, Taft 3
Downtown Magnets 14, Collins Family 4
Granada Hills 4, El Camino Real 3
Harbor Teacher 2, Fremont 1
LA University 10, Palisades 2
Maywood CES 23, Elizabeth 0
Port of LA 7, King/Drew 0
South East 6, Legacy 4
South Gate 6, LA Roosevelt 0
Sun Valley Magnet 16, Valley Oaks CES 0
Sun Valley Poly 4, San Fernando 2
Sylmar 13, North Hollywood 3
Torres 13, Maywood Academy 0
Verdugo Hills 15, Granada Hills Kennedy 1
Westchester 8, LA Hamilton 7
SOUTHERN SECTION
Adelanto 5, Victor Valley 4
Alta Loma 10, Colony 5
Anza Hamilton 6, Bethel Christian 2
Barstow 3, Silverado 2
Beverly Hills 12, Lawndale 2
Burbank Providence 10, de Toledo 0
Chino 7, Ontario 6
Chino Hills 6, Bonita 4
Classical Academy 3, Fallbrook 2
Diamond Ranch 4, Montclair 1
Don Lugo 10, Chaffey 6
Fontana 10, Colton 0
Great Oak 10, Vista Murrieta 9
Hawthorne 14, Comtpon Centennial 3
Heritage Christian 5, Maranatha 4
Irvine University3, Sage Hill 2
Laguna Beach 19, St. Margaret’s 2
Loara 10, Anaheim 1
Murrieta Mesa 17, Murrieta Valley 5
Norte Vista 3, West Valley 1
Nuview Bridge 16, California Military 0
Oaks Christian 11, Newbury Park 2
Oakwood 6, Milken 2
Orange Lutheran 3, Trinity Classical Academy 2
Portola 7, Northwood 4
Redlands 14, Carter 3
Rio Hondo Prep 10, Webb 1
Rio Mesa 9, Foothill Tech 0
Riverside Prep 3, Rialto 2
Rosamond 12, Frazier Mountain 2
San Dimas 4, South Hills 1
San Jacinto Valley Christian 22, SJDLCS 0
Santa Ana Calvary Chapel 2, Tustin 0
Shalhevet 6, Environmental Charter 1
Southlands Christian 11, Legacy College Prep 1
St. Bonaventure 21, Thacher 4
St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy 8, Glendale 1
Temecula Valley 5, Chaparral 0
Thousand Oaks 7, Calabasas 5
United Christian Academy 20, California Lutheran 4
Valley Christian 9, Village Christian 4
Vasquez 6, Desert Christian 2
Westlake 9, Agoura 4
Whittier Christian 18, Whittier 1
INTERSECTIONAL
Animo Leadership 12, Compton Early College 7
Casteel 3, St. John Bosco 2
Central Catholic 6, Highland 1
Ida B. Wells 6, Grand Terrace 5
Jesuit 4, Aquinas 3
Layton 6, Northview 5
Quartz Hill 12, Brighton 7
Sacramento Grant 7, La Palma Kennedy 6
Sacramento Grant 7, Eastvale Roosevelt 5
Venice 12, Harvard-Westlake 0
SOFTBALL
CITY SECTION
Arleta 3, LA Marshall 0
Carson 10, San Pedro 0
El Camino Real 16, LA University 3
Garfield 14, Huntington Park 1
Jefferson 16, Diego Rivera 15
LACES 26, Fairfax 2
LA Hamilton 13, Palisades 9
Legacy 9, South East 2
Mendez 22, Belmont 15
Northridge Academy 19, East Valley 2
Panorama 22, Grant 21
Port of LA 19, Locke 2
Rancho Dominguez 16, Gardena 3
SOCES 25, Vaughn 6
Venice 21, Westchester 0
Wilmington Banning 22, Narbonne 0
SOUTHERN SECTION
Arcadia 16, Burbank 0
Alhambra 12, Montebello 2
Aliso Niguel 7, Mission Viejo 1
Anza Hamilton 6, Bethel Christian 2
Bonita 14, Rancho Cucamonga 2
Burbank Burroughs 18, Pasadena 0
California Military 13, Nuview Bridge 3
Camarillo 8, Moorpark 4
Canyon Country Canyon 18, Golden Valley 4
Capistrano Valley 10, Tesoro 7
Chaminade 15, Louisville 2
Chino 12, Ontario 1
Claremont 6, Ontario Christian 4
Colton 12, Citrus Hill 1
Costa Mesa 16, Downey Calvary Chapel 5
Crean Lutheran 30, Troy 7
Diamond Ranch 12, Montclair 8
Don Lugo 12, Chaffey 2
Downey 7, Gahr 6
Etiwanda 11, Corona Centennial 4
Fillmore 14, Hueneme 2
Garden Grove Pacifica 2, Cypress 1
Great Oak 11, Murrieta Valley 7
Hacienda Heights Wilson 7, Southlands Christian 4
Huntington Beach 6, El Modena 2
Irvine 4, Woodbridge 3
La Habra 11, Anaheim Canyon 9
Lakewood 12, Compton 0
Lakewood St. Joseph 6, Bishop Amat 3
La Salle 10, Cantwell-Sacred Heart 0
Lawndale 15, Beverly Hills 11
Lennox Academy 26, Glenn 24
Los Alamitos 10, Edison 3
Los Altos 8, San Dimas 1
Maranatha 12, Mayfield 1
Marina 12, Corona del Mar 0
Mark Keppel 13, San Gabriel 1
Millikan 9, Long Beach Wilson 9
Murrieta Mesa 15, Chaparral 0
Newbury Park 14, Calabasas 0
Newport Harbor 10, Fountain Valley 6
Northwood 10, Irvine University 1
Norwalk 11, Bellflower 1
Paraclete 5, Tehachapi 5
Paramount 18, Lynwood 0
Ramona Convent 25, St. Anthony 0
Rio Hondo Prep 2, Flintridge Sacred Heart 1
Riverside Prep 11, Oak Hills 6
Rosamond 23, Frazier Mountain 13
Rosary Academy 19, Portola 0
San Juan Hills 2, El Toro 1
Santa Ana Foothill 10, Sunny Hills 5
Santa Monica 20, Leuzinger 3
Santa Paula 16, Channel Islands 1
Saugus 5, Hart 1
Schurr 10, Bell Gardens 0
Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 10, Sierra Canyon 0
Silverado 9, Barstow 2
Sonora 5, El Dorado 3
South Hills 12, Colony 1
St. Bernard 28, St. Mary’s Academy 27
St. Bonaventure 11, Santa Clara 3
St. Paul 12, Bishop Montgomery 1
Temescal Canyon 8, San Jacinto 0
Trabuco Hills 12, Beckman 6
Valley Christian 11, Village Christian 0
Valley View 8, Citrus Valley 1
Victor Valley 7, Adelanto 4
Westlake 4, Thousand Oaks 3
West Ranch 16, Valencia 6
West Valley 15, Tahquitz 5
Yorba Linda 7, Brea Olinda 6
INTERSECTIONAL
Castaic 13, Cleveland 5
Environmental Charter 39, HMSA 20
San Dieguito Academy 14, Fallbrook 0
San Marino 19, Dymally 0